We'll be selling at the Indie Market at Bumbershoot again this year! We had a blast last year, meeting all sorts of fantastically talented artists and taking in the excellent music, including a highly memorable show by Andrew Bird in the shadow of the Space Needle. We'll be busting out a power chord consisting of the fabulous Ms. Abigail Nash, aka pulpreality on Etsy, myself (atomin) and my better half, James, of oneupdesigns Etsy fame and fortune. More on this as we get closer to the festival...

Moustaches...

My talented and creative partner in crime (aka husband) James has a new line of mini graphics out in his shop on Etsy -- moustaches! These surface graphics are life-sized moustache stickers that you can put on windows, mirrors (see our son Jack above, thoroughly enjoying his new 'stache), or virtually any other surface that's flat and smooth. My personal choice? Right over the glowing white apple on the back of my Mac powerbook. I believe he sent these off to be included in the MTV Movie Award gift lounge, via the Sampler, so keep your eyes open for the moustache epidemic that will sweep the celebrity world.

L-i-v-i-n'

In the immortal words of Wooderson (Dazed and Confused): "You just gotta keep on livin', man. L-I-V-I-N." It has been one busy month. Why? So far there's been Make's Urban Street Bazaar (which went fabulously!) and the UT Southwestern's annual Biophysics retreat (at which I gave a talk...whew!). Coming up tomorrow is the Etsy Dallas first annual Beer-B-Q. If you are in the Dallas area, you must come check it out -- there'll be free food and beer, tons of amazing art and crafty bits for sale, and a Make & Take table with lots of free and crazy crafts for people of all ages.

The Make & Take table has been a little project of mine and, as it turns out, an excellent way to destash a decade's worth of old craft supplies. Lots of other Etsy Dallas members are donating all kinds of supplies, from paper goods to cute fabric to beads. I've been busy prepping a few tiny projects to serve as examples. This one? I like to call it "Disco Shrine".


















See YOU at the Make & Take table!

Urban Street Bazaar - git yer shoppin' shoes on!

Come out and get your handcrafted goods from Atom-In, Pulp Reality, and One Up Designs at the Urban Street Bazaar, held in the lovely Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff, on Saturday, May 10th. The show is organized by Julie from Make (also located in the Bishop Arts District) and is stocked with 100% handcrafted goods. Other great local artists featured in the show are PamelaMichelle, Tefi, B.Liscious, Tara to the T, and Harrilu (all fabulous members of the Etsy Dallas Street Team!), so come out and check us out!

Beantown?

I'm off to Boston tomorrow for the 2008 National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting -- fighting for the rights of hard working, underpaid, and under-appreciated postdoc fellows everywhere!

Busy, busy bee!

The latest batch of charms... I am still so enchanted by pulp art imagery -- so phantasmagorical!

Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q

Featuring free food, beer and the fabulous Make & Take craft table! Get your craft on and make that pocket shrine to toast, Douglas Coupland, or particle physics, or whatever else takes your fancy. Catch the finest in local handmade goods from over 20 Etsy Dallas artists and chill out with a veggie burger and a beer ---- come on, have you really got anything better to do?
See you at the Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q on Sunday, May 18th!

Sunny San Diego...land of experimental biologists?

After a long week at the 2008 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego, I am starting to get my life back on track. Work, family, crafting, and reading have all fallen behind while I was spending an inordinate amount of time standing in line for my daily double americano with 10,000 of my favorite scientists. San Diego was a nice respite from the flat brownishness that Dallas has embodied over the winter, and there was enough great science at the meeting to motivate me to keep my eyes on the prize (a permanent job, that is).

I had a bit of time to check out the city and fell in love with the Little Italy neighborhood. Not only did the neighborhood have some very well stocked groceries full of imported goods (Lavazza espresso, anyone?), but it has really started taking off as a design center. I picked up some gorgeous letterpress cards from Egg Press and Snow & Graham at India Ink. I may have a hard time parting with them...

Destash galore

I'm getting ready to set up another shop on Etsy to sell off my extra stash of vintage lucite beads and pendants. Keep an eye out for my retrobeads shop on Etsy -- soon to be loaded with all sorts of vintage crafty goodies!

Eco and animal-friendly jewelry

Check out this week's Etsy Dallas spotlight on Christy Robinson of Julep115, written by yours truly. She's a very talented local jeweler who makes great jewelry from recycled metals and other reclaimed materials. My hands down favorite is her Hot Mama Volcano pendant -- why beat around the bush when you can just let everyone know what you really are?! Check out Christy anytime at her studio in the lofts at South Side on Lamar or catch her at the Oak Cliff Earth Day festival.

Heaven on a string...

I was fortunate enough to run into these vintage czech glass beauties while out shopping at my favorite hole-in-the-wall bead shop here in Dallas. Gleaming, pretty, tiny, shiny things -- I love them!

Got Broccoli?

For those in the know, just call him 'little Chrissy' (of John Waters' fame).

David Lynch, man of the hour!

As a huge fan of Mr. Lynch's film and TV work, I was compelled to make this Blue Velvet-inspired necklace. From the acclaimed 1986 film:

Frank Booth: What kind of beer do you like to drink, neighbor?

Jeffrey Beaumont: Heineken.

Frank Booth: Heineken? F%*# that s@^*! Pabst Blue Ribbon!

The Inaugural Post

I think it goes something like this: "Hello, World!"

As this is the first post in my first blog, I just wanted to give a quick hello. I'm a Ph.D. Biochemist working in basic science research in the great urban sprawlitude of Dallas, Texas. I love my job -- research is totally driven by creativity (a highly under-appreciated fact) and is both frustrating and rewarding. When I'm not at work, I hang out my family unit (husband + not-quite three year old toddler + sweet dog + evil cat) and love listening to indie music. I also enjoy making things with my hands, focusing on surreal imagery, irreverent wit, and pretty shiny things.

Much of this blog will probably be dedicated to my crafty endeavors and a general awareness of modern design. I have a strong fondness (nay, obsession) for all things mid-century modern, and hopefully I'll highlight things I come across that tickle my design bone. You know, the one right above the... uh, elbow?